Voices of Ordinary Americans: The Average American Series
by Chriszeo
Summary: The story of Tabatha Izumi and her descendants, as they find and live in the new land known as America.
1. Tabatha Izumi: Average American Part 1

**Tabatha Izumi: Average American **by Christian Zeo

**Part 1**

1 month has passed. That's all it's been. Only a fraction of the time needed to arrive at our destination. 5 more months left; how it's possible to survive, if it even is, I don't know.

My name is Tabatha Izumi. I'm only 14 years old, yet on my journey to go to the unknown land of America. The riches and beauty we've been told about are the only reason why I am accepting this fate; not that I had a choice anyway.

My father Akisame, my brother Saito, and I are on this boat for one reason: murder. My mother Louise was a lawyer. _Was._ During one of her cases, she successfully proved a man guilty of stealing from the king of England. Out of pure hatred, the man pulled out a knife, lunged at my mother, and killed her in front of the whole court.

I was to follow in her footsteps, and become a lawyer, however without my mother to support us, we can't afford to keep my father's bread shop, let alone for me to go to school. There was only one way to find a new home for my family, and be able to afford to live: to become a maid and go to america. A maid for a man I don't know, and don't want to know. All I know about him is his name, Adam Olson.

After only 1 month, most of the passengers on our ship are already dead, and the few who aren't wish they were. It's so horrible; people unable to move because of scurvy, people who know they are going to die from cancer, and in general sickness. Unfortunately, I'm not so lucky. I've had to stay in bed most of the time, because of survy I caught. Even in bed, I can hear the sickening cries and screams of people near death, and those of farmers wishing they could just have a piece of bread, however even that much is too much.

I know the only reason why people help me survive is because they don't want to see me, a cute little girl hurt. They even outright say it; I asked a man who was starving why he gave me food. His only reply was that I looked like his daughter, because of my shortness, blue eyes, and brown hair.

The only person who didn't treat me like a helpless kid was a person I wish I hadn't met. A man who calls himself Charles Charleston. I wish I could forget his arrogance, his mean attitude, his... lies.

"Why are you here, girl?" He asked in a way that made me feel like a child.

"I-I'm on my way to America. I'm going to save my family!" I replied, at that moment noticing his large white beard, and buff body, realizing he couldn't be younger than 60.

"You people are all insane. Do you really think some _amazing_ paradise will just be at America? I saw first hand the horrors of that place." He said, as he gave a distant look, as if having a flash back.

"Horrors? You-you're lying! Everyone was told that there _was_ paradise at America! What horrors could there even be?!" I said, getting angry at the ignorance of this man.

"There are many bad things about this place. Natives that will kill us without second thought, terrible land for crops, and starvation will come. Quick." Charles said, beginning to look genuinely afraid.

Knowing this was an act, I quickly retaliated.

" You liar! Why should we believe you?! You just want the land for yourself!" I snapped, not ready for this man to steal away all of the hope I had stored up.

"You're too stubborn. Fine. Go and see for yourself. If you won't listen, then that's your problem." Charles said, proceeding to walk towards his small cabin. I didn't want to believe him, and I didn't have to. I know what I was told, and I looked forward to this land, this salvation that would come. I was more excited about this than I had been about anything in my life.

And I wish I hadn't.


	2. Tabatha Izumi: Average American Part 2

**Tabatha Izumi: Average American ** by Christian Zeo

**Part 2**

Standing in front of the crowd, watching the horror of a hanging. I knew why it was so morbid, why I couldn't bear tto watch it; because it was caused by me.

20 years have passed since the day we arrived at this hell, and frankly, I don't know how we survived. Philadelphia, the city of choice for my master Adam Olson, located in Pennsylvania, was naturally where my family decided to settle. While it's not as good as home, it's still nice, with cold winters, but also hot summers.

Despite the way he seemed, Adam is a very nice man. I was very surprised to find out that he is the king's minister. Unfortunately, I found out in a way that caused the horrible death of a man to happen.

I was doing the chores as usual for Adam, when suddenly out of nowhere he went up to me, and started talking to me, which he usually never did while I was working, because he always said that it's better to be focused so I can get work done a lot more efficiently. What he said surprised me quite a bit.

"Tabatha dear, I have a request. I'm working on an investigation of a crime committed yesterday, and I want to hear what you think about it, and see if you can figurre out who committed it." Adam said, and at that moment I felt a bond had been made.

" Wait, you work for the king?! I suppose I could help; it would be an honor to do work for you and the king!" I replied, showing that I was reliable, and was willing to please him.

"Thank you so much Tabatha! Well as long as you're here, I'll show you the evidence, and we can walk over to the scene of the crime." He said, getting up to get some papers, and then leaving with me. And as we walked, I faintly felt something warm grasping my hand.

And I held it all the way there.

The following day, after I contemplated what I had seen, it hit me. When Adam asked me who I thought did it, I knew immediately what my answer was.

"The whole problem is that someone threw pig manure at a statue of the king, right? So it must be someone who lives with, or near, pigs." I said.

"Of course, so do you think it was the first suspect, Po Daniels?" Adam said, proving that what I thought was true.

"That makes sense, right? After all, he is upset with the king for not letting him move east to farm tobacco, and he's a pig farmed. However, that's exactly why he's not the one who did it." I said, finally able to prove to Adam Olson that I can do more than cook and clean.

"What?! He's not? If not, then who?!" Adam said, obviously surprised by how sure I was of myself.

"Eustice Fairbanks is your other suspect you said was most likely, right? Of course he has motives, because the king won't let him be given a title like "Earl", "Duke", or "Knight", but I don't think that would push him to doing something such as throwing pig manure on a statue of the king, especially considering his trying to be on the good side of the king. So all that leaves is..."

"... Seamus Block." Adam said, finally having a moment of realization, but then immediately snapping out of it.

"Wait, how is that possible? What evidence could you have?" He said, now looking at me curiously.

"Seamus Block. The indentured servant of Po Daniels. The only reason why he's still working for him is because Po caught him stealing a bread roll, and the only grudge Seamus has isn't even against the king personally, but against the ministers like you. Now, you may be thinking, 'well then why would he want to disrespect the king like that?', and the answer is, he didn't. He threw the manure at the king's statue, because he knew that his master would be the first one suspected, and everytime he's accused, he never says it could be Po who did it, because he knows that if he blames others, he will be immediately looked at as suspicious." I said all at once.

"You... you're a genius! You've done it!" Adam said, hugging me tightly, showing his respect for me, and his pride in my ability to solve the case. And right at that moment, I thought there would be no way that I wouldn't be recognized as a hero, and feel like one.

But I was sorely mistaken.

After that day, the king arrested the man, and brought him to the public so they could watch him be hung, showing what would happen to those who were disloyal to the king.

The terror in Seamus' eyes, the pain of knowing that he was about to lose everything, and that it was all my fault was more than I could take. I looked away, and that was when I heard the swing of a sword, the cutting of a rope, and the gasp of a man, as he took his final breath, and left the earth.

At that very moment, I regretted ever helping Adam, and ever trying to do something good. All I felt was pain.

The pain that I had caused others.


	3. Tabatha Izumi: Average American Part 3

**Tabatha Izumi: Average American ** by Christian Zeo

**Part 3**

30 Years have passed since the horrible hanging that I caused. There are so many things wrong with what happened that day; not only did I cause the death of a man, but I caused the death of an innocent man.

After finding out that my accusations were wrong, the king himself commanded that I be punished. I have been appropriately branded with an S on my tounge for slander. I understand that what I have done is wrong, however the reason I regret what I did was more than just for causing the death of an innocent man; it is also because of what they did to both Adam, and my son.

_Our_ son.

After we started to get used to the shame and poverty that ensued, we began to realize how alike we were, both in our beliefs and our view of life, which eventually lead to our love and ultimately to the birth of our son Phillip, who today is 17, while I, his old mother, am 64, just hanging onto life at this point, while Adam recently turned 78. If not for Adam and Phillip, I would be content with leaving the earth, however I could never do that to them; I love them too much,which is why the horrible treatment my son has recieved because of me is so unbearably terrible to me. I wanted him to be able to go to school and get an education, like the one I was deprived of, but because of me he is no longer able to go to a school, nor is he trusted by any one; I don't mind that treatment, as I rarely speak to anyone other than Adam and Phillip, however my son does not deserve this, nor does Adam.

Despite the poverty that fell upon us, I soon realized Adam was even smarter than I formerly believed. Even though he soon lost his job, he was able to save enough money over the years that he had stored away that we were able to afford food for awhile, at least long enough for us to start growing crops, which is the only reason why we are able to sustain slight wealth; no one allows us to work anywhere else otherwise.

Now it's 1754, and my family and I are working together on making lunch for the day, conversing about the recent bad weather causing crops to not grow, when suddenly we hear a knock on our door. I go to answer, and when I do, I feel a huge mix of emotions; fear, excitement, happiness, curiosity, and much more, as I see Robert Dinwiddie, the tall and skinny govenor of Virginia, wearing his thick brown mustache as usual, and waving to a man in a carriage behind him.

"Hello? You are Tabatha Izumi, correct?" The man says to me, and after contemplating whether I should lie or not, I eventually decided, and say "Yes, that would be me, however now I go by Tabatha Olson. And you are Robert Dinwiddie, correct? It's quite an honor to have you come! We don't get many visitors, ever since the accident..."

"Yes, such an unfortunate event, however that is more or less what I have come to speak to you about. I need you to come with me back to my palace in Williamsburg. It is urgent, and we request you not ask questions on the way." Robert said, with an odd smile on his face, _Williamsburg? All the way in Virginia?! And what did he mean by 'we'?_ I thought, the whole situation seeming very odd and unrealistic, however I knew I had to go with him, whether or not I got punished. All I wanted was to see my family as I left the earth, so I asked Adam and Phillip if they would come with me. Adam agreed immediately, however Phillip had this worried look, and said he had a bad feeling about it, but that he felt he had to go, that a feeling deep inside was telling him he should go.

With one last word of agreement, we all began to leave the house and get into the govenor's carriage. As we began to leave the house, I felt something odd; a feeling of sorrow, but also one of relief, I have no idea why I felt it, maybe it was because of the sad times feeling like they were leaving as I left our taboo house, or maybe it was because I felt that our destination lead to great opprotunity, however I knew one thing for sure, That no matter what, I would keep going on, and trying to protect my son and husband with all my life.

With tears streaming down my face, I waved goodbye to my house, mouthing "see ya" to it, and looked ahead at the road that lead to my next journey, the next chapter in my life.

After several days of riding, the stiffness and the pain of sitting on such a hard carriage seat got to me, and I asked if we could stop. As we stopped, I saw an army of men marching away, and I began to wonder what it was about, however I decided it wasn't worth worrying about and fell asleep on the seat, not really caring about the army that had been going away at all. _Why should I worry? I doubt it's important. Definitely not as important as my sleep_, I decided.

As i woke up from my dreamless sleep, I began to see the large, blue palace we had traveled for. As we walked in through a large gateway, I began to take in the surroundings; Large red curtains over every window, a big purple carpet covering the whole floor, and statues of various people scattered all over the room. Despite my obvious surprise and excitement, I decided to act as professional as possible, and asked Robert Dinwiddie what it was that he wished for me to be here for.

"Well Tabatha, a close friend of mine told me about you, and despite the mistake you made 30 years ago, he believes that you have wonderful deducing skills, and he wishes for you to solve another problem, in trade for your family having another shot at life, and if he believes in you, then so do I. So are you up to it?" Robert said, with a huge smile across his face as he saw the excitement in all of our eyes, and I immediately replied by saying "Yes sir! Anything for you! Thank you so much! What is this job that you want me to do? I'll get to it immediately!" I said all at once, as I was ecstatic at the idea of giving my son the life he so very deserves after the mistreatment he has recieved.

"I'm glad you said that Mrs. Olson, as I need your help right now. You can come out now Washington!" Dinwiddie said to a man who came in from a door on the other side of the room. As he walked over to us, I noticed he seemed very drowsy, and was all battered up, despite being a fit looking young man.

"Tabatha, this is George, George Washington. The reason we need your help is because we need to hear your opinion and ideas on what has happened. You see, there has been a war that recently broke out between the French and England, and it may have been caused by Washington, however we are not sure, as all we have to base it on is Washington's story. Would you please explain to her what happened in Pennsylvania, near her hometown?" The govenor said to the young man, who looked as if he was going to pass out.

"You see, it all started when the French took over one of our incomplete forts in the Ohio Valley. As we began to move west, we found a French camp nearby, who soon discovered us, so we naturally started firing then. I think that the French were faking a mission as an excuse to attack us. I think we should go and kill those scum right now!" Washington said, and as he did, I heard a slam as the door behind us opened, and a soldier dressed like the ones I saw on the way here walked in. With a red face, as if ready to murder, he began to scream just that; murder.

"YOU MURDERER! YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!" the man yelled, angrily pointing his finger at Washington.

"Hey calm down son. Who are you, and what do you want?" The govenor spoke softly, trying to appeal to the man's senses.

"My name is Coulon de Villiers, and I am a member of the French army. I worked along side my brother, French officer JumonVille, until that fateful day. Lead by that man right there, my brother was murdered, despite not even attacking him! My brother... the only person I had left... the only one who I loved, and loved me. He should be charged for murder, and be executed immediately!" He screamed, still pointing at George, but now crying a steady flow of tears, while periodically gasping for air.

"Hmm... What do you think of this Tabatha? Who do you think is right?" The govenor asked me, putting me in the spotlight, and at that very moment I knew what I had to do.

"I think... I think the one with the answer is right here." I said, putting my hand on Phillip's shoulder.

"Mom..." My son said, showing deeper emotions than I had ever seen in his eyes before, now realizing how much I trusted him.

"I think... You are wrong Coulon." Phillip Izumi says softly, and then the anger in Coulon's eyes appears.

Looking into my eyes, my mother told me that I was the one with answer to the problem, which I knew was true. The trust she put in me made me swell with feeling, and I knew that this moment would decide whether or not I would get to have the life I had always dreamed of, and I so I spoke.

"I think... You are wrong Coulon." I said. I immediately saw the pain and anger in the man's eyes, so I quickly explained.

"While you have every right to be mad at the loss of your brother, we don't know what exactly happened. You reacted wrongly, barging into a palace you are not permitted to be in, and then demand for us to arrest a man with no proof. False accusations such as that have lead to much pain in the past, and unless you want to be victim to such pain, I suggest you leave now. Oh, and it also seems way too suspicious that you just _happened_ to notice Washington and his army come by the fort." I just barely finished, as I saw the man leap.

Right as the man leaped, in what felt like seconds, one of the most important events in my life occurred. I remember all of it so vividly; my mother being almost attacked by the French soldier, my father jumping in the way, the blood dripping from his face as the French man killed him in one punch, the shrieks of my mom as she told me to run, the screams of pain from Coulon as I punched him as hard as I could out of revenge for my father, and the shrieks of my mother as she was attacked by Coulon as the Govenor ran me out to the carriage, leaving Washington to fight Coulon.

And within minutes, I had found out what it had felt like to be trusted by and relied on by my parents, respected by people who treated me like an adult, and the pain of losing the only thing that truly mattered to me. I knew I would never see mom or dad again, and that was something I couldn't bear knowing.

As we rode away from the massacre that was occurring in the palace, I began to do something I had never really done before. I cried. I cried in the seat, on the road, and in my heart.

And that crying never truly ended.


	4. Phillip Olson: Average American Part 1

**Phillip Olson: Average American ** by Christian Zeo

**Part 1**

3 years since the horrible incident with my parents have passed. Ever since that day I have felt a pain deep inside me, knowing I would never get to have the family I wanted, and I thought I deserved. Despite that, however, I have had something to keep me happy since that day: 2 things in fact. A woman named Kristina Marie Elizabeth Lehr, and our 3 year old daughter named Tabatha, who I have tried to raise the way my mother had long since dreamed raising her family.

Staring deeply into the eyes of the soon to be Mrs. Olson, I know that she is the one I want to spend my life with. Kristina, with her perfect smile, and beautiful red hair, is staring back at me, in a way I had never dreamed of. What I see in her eyes is something more than just a desire, just a dream. I see love.

As the wedding finishes, with the minister from the church of England getting off of our stage, and Kristina holding the bottom of her colorful dress up as not to trip on it down the stairs, I begin to look out through the window of the church, and see the majestic snow fall now from the blinding white sky. I think about how much Kristina is like a snowflake; delicate, beautiful, and one of a kind.

With the ceremony ending, we begin to set up a traditional feast; All around are plates of fish, roasted pig, potatoes, and much more. As we cut our large spiced cake and give out pieces to people, Kristina and I notice something very intriguing; in the small slice we gave to Tabatha, as she she bites into, something becomes visible from the inside; the baked nutmeg. Astonished, we both hug our daughter, as we hear cheers celebrating the supposed next-to-marry.

We go to sit down with Tabatha as Kristina cleans cake out of her dark brown hair, when something catches my attention out of the corner of my eye; Two American officers who had joined in on the festivities. I go over to talk to them, to thank them to their dedication to our colony, when I notice that they seem worried, terrified even, so I decided to ask them what's wrong, and I begin to realize the terrors of our land.

"What's wrong? _**What's wrong?!**_ I'll tell you what's wrong! We managed to escape the war with the French alive, which in itself was a miracle, as most people weren't so lucky. The British officers we worked with were evil." The first man said.

"Yeah! They would torture their own men over stupid, small things! They were merciless!" The second soldier said.

I decided to speak to them, to try to comfort them, to do anything I could to cheer them, and myself, up on my wedding day.

"I'm sorry for all the pain you've faced. If there is anything I can do to help, just ask me, however otherwise could you please try to brighte-" I said as I heard shrieks from the other side of the church, and as I looked around I saw a face I had seen before. A face I had seen marching on the opposite side of the French, on the day that my mother and father both passed.

"I request help." The large leader of the Iroquois, the Half King says bluntly.

"I have faced struggle in war as I helped you fight the French. The British have been kind, as has George Washington, however now I begin to wonder if what I have done is right.

"My tribe's rivals, the Huron, are out to kill me for helping their enemy. I know of you and your ability to solve the most complex problems, as it is one passed down through your family; you cannot deny that, as Washington has told me stories of you, and how you have even fought a French man to save him and your family. So help me, please!" The huge, muscle filled man pleaded.

"I'm sorry, however I cannot help you. I don't want to get involved; all that has ever done is get my parents killed, and I will not let that happen to my family. I just wish for my wife to have the wedding she deserves, so please leave here peacefully." I say, thinking my request to be quite reasonable, until I see him lunge at my wife, and grab her from the back, and put a knife to her throat. Scared and terrified, Kristina yells for help, and I run until I hear what the Half King says.

"If you want your wife, you must help me, or I'll kill her!" He says, and then immediately gets terrified as hundreds of Huron warriors come through the church doors. I begin to get sick to the stomache as I see all of the people of the village who at come to the feast prepare for trouble, start fighting, and all inevitably lose. As they try to attack bare fisted, the Huron jump out from under chairs and tables, cutting them with axes and sharp knives, and cutting off their heads, scalping them. Eventually there are so few survivors, that the Huron start to leave us out of boredom, and that is when I notice the absence of the Half King.

And Kristina.

Hurrying with amazing speed, I kick a Huron in the back and take his axe, grab little Tabatha, put her on my back, and run at full speed, feeling like a feather in the wind, slashing everyone in my way.

"KRISTINA!" I scream, filled with exilheration, ready to fight 70,000 men if it meant saving the one I love unconditionally, and run out the door, with hundreds of Huron men following behind me.

Outrunning all of the Huron, I sprint for 2 miles until I finally see the Half King, with Kristina over his shoulder. Filled with rage, I quickly put down Tabatha, and feeling lighter then ever, jump at the Half King as high and far as I can, and with a deafening scream, I him in the back, hard enough to split his body in 2. As his corpse falls dead on the floor, I quickly grab Kristina off of his shoulder and set her down, as I say to her and my crying daughter, "Don't worry. It's over. We can finally be together... with no one in our way. _No one_." I say with a big smile, still holding the bloody knife in my hand, as I feel something inside me change. I feel... relieved.

As we walk home, I laugh. I laugh a lot. I laugh at the fun times we will have together as a family, laugh at the fun activities we will do together.

And laugh at the fun I had just had moments before.


	5. Tabatha Olson: Average American Part 1

**Tabatha Olson: Average American **by Christian Zeo

**Part 1**

"We must protect our rights as citizens! Let's go and show them where they can put their tea!" The leader of the rally, Samuel Adams shouted at all of us, a huge crowd of Americans, who were ready to fight for our rights.

It is 1773, and I, Tabatha Olson, have just turned 21, my long brown hair finally reaching down my back the way I have wanted for years. Despite being weak, and easily scared, I decided to stand up for myself, and fight for what I believe is right. Lead by Samuel Adams, thousands of other people and I are going to pour all of the tea on 3 British boats overboard, to rebel against the King for his terrible Townshend acts and the new tea act.

Being my first rally, it was very scary for me; what scared me the most was all of the shouting; 'Let's get back our freedom!', 'Make the King pay!', and a lot more was said by all of the people, especially by Samuel Adams, who kept screaming about how Boston's governor, Thomas Hutchinson, was an example of the British's 'true face'. What made me realize what I had to do to help our colonies was what he said after; about the tea. Adams told us, the sons and daughters of liberty, to dress up as Mohawk Indians so we could board the ships and dump the tea into Boston Harbor.

Getting ready for the demonstration, I began to get dressed into my Mohawk Indian costume, when my parents, Phillip and Kristina Olson, stopped me.

"Tabatha! What do you think you are doing?! Do you know what will happen if you get caught? There's no way they would let you get away with it, or even live!" My 38 year old father, Phillip Olson, spoke angrily. I don't remember it very well because I was so young, however my mother tells me that ever since my father saved her from this guy called the Half King, He hasn't been the same; I can even see it physically. He looks much older than he really is, has bags underneath his eyes all the time because he struggles to sleep, his hair has grayed almost fully, and he never wants me to leave home alone.

"What would your grandmother have said about this? When we named you, we thought you would turn out to be a person who listens, like she did. I understand you have rights you want to fight to protect, however Americans _must_ be loyal to their king, as we wouldn't be here without him. Defying his rule would be an unforgivable act!" He shouted, making cringe, both at his anger and his mention of Grandmother Tabatha.

I don't know much about her, but from what I hear, she was an amazing person, who worked for the king's ministry, chosen personally to help, _and _was a part of deciding on the innocence of George Washington. While I understand my Father being upset and worried, as he was there when his father, Adam Olson, and his mother Tabatha were murdered, I still believe that I have to do this, no matter what.

"Dad, we have to make a statement. The king is taxing us, and without giving us any choice! We have no representative in parliament, thus making this tyranny! We have to stand up for our rights, before the rest of them are taken away too!" I preach, standing up to my father for the first time in my life.

"Tabatha…" My dad says quietly, as I finish putting on my costume and moving out, preparing for what might be the most important event of my life.

Boarding the ships, the men who let us in did so without any questions, so as to not start a disagreement with the 'Indians', just as we had planned. Carrying small hatchets that were named tomahawks, we cut gashes into the large chests filled with tea, and threw them into the Boston Harbor, to make sure it was all thoroughly exposed to the effects of the water. Despite being surrounded by British armed ships, none of them attempted to stop us at all; probably because they knew they couldn't stop us even if they had tried.

Through the thick misty night, we could barely see the large sea of tea that had begun to look like an ocean of mud. Hearing the cheers of excitement from the other people, I felt a wonderful feeling of success, knowing I had been a part in making a huge statement in freedom, and had been able to assist the Patriots in this great event that I would never forget. The only regret that I have after participating is that of the consequences that will proceed; If it is found out that I took part, my family will surely suffer the same fate that I was told happened to my grandparents long ago.

As I opened the door to my house after the long night, I prepared for the worst. Slowly opening it up, inch by inch, I tried my hardest to get inside without my parents noticing, however my efforts were in vain, as they opened the door, as I realize they had been waiting for me the whole time.

"Mom, Dad. We did it, and it was a success. No matter what you say, I am proud of what I did, and I believe I made a difference. I fought for our rights, and now everything will be okay!" I said as cheerfully as possible, hoping to please them, however it didn't work. At all.

"I told you not to go Tabatha. You know that, and yet you disobeyed me, _and_ your mother." My father said, giving me an angry look, and then he said the words that would change my life forever.

"Tabatha, we can't have you disobeying us, and rebelling against the king. Your mother and I have decided that you have to stop, or else." He said, giving me a look I had never seen before; one so serious.

"Dad, I will do whatever it takes to give us back our rights!" I said, in one last defiant burst, before it happened.

"I'm sorry Tabatha. If that's how we feel, then we can't house you here. Your actions will lead to too much pain, and that is unacceptable. Leave Tabatha. _Now_." He said, showing me the door, and giving me nothing but a suitcase with clothes and little food.

I grabbed the bag and went outside, walking far away from the house, going nowhere. _All I can do is leave_, I thought as I cried, leaving a trail of tears behind me, leading to the place I knew I would never go back to.


	6. Tabatha Olson: Average American Part 2

**Tabatha Olson: Average American ** by Christian Zeo

**Part 2**

32 years of age. 11 years of suffering. Little family. No direct relatives willing to admit it. That's how it's been since the Boston Tea Party.

My name is Tabatha Olson, and I _was_ the daughter of Phillip and Kristina Olson, until I defyed them by being a part of the Boston Tea Party. I was named after my grandmother who I never got to meet, Tabatha Izumi. Ever since I left home that day 11 years ago, I knew that what I had done was right, but wrong at the same time. Immediately after my leaving, I had found out my parents were killed, because of my behavior. My dad, Phillip Olson, had been affected by the war when he tried helping several times, and had become mentally unstable. I had never been that close to him, but I felt horrible about what I had done. I was unable to feel any happiness, until I met a man named Joseph Halter, a farmer like myself. Joe allowed me to live with him in Philadelphia when he found me starved and alone on a cold winter night, and ever since that day I knew he was the one for me.

Joe and I have had a son since then, our precious little 9 year old Billy. We love him so much, but despite how much we try, we can't shield him from the pain that has been going on. He was well aware of the war that was going on, and as much as we hated it, we had to leave him alone with one of Joe's friends for the majority of the time, as we could not watch him during the war as much as we wished we could.

Joe and I went through a lot during the war, and were even been in battle several times. Seeing all of the bloodshed, the corpses, the people crying and hoping to live, and the tortue everyone went through has hurt me and Joe in a way that won't heal. Despite all of our attempts, we can't simply ignore, forget what we saw. There was only one good thing that came from the war; our success.

During the war, we were apparently seen as exceptional leaders in battle and with politics, and thus we were asked if one of us would be willing to lead a state general

assembly to create a new state constitution for Pennsylvania. Joe got excited by the idea of being able to make a difference, which he found was hard for a man of the age 48, but decided that if anyone were to make a change, it should be me. The day he decided this, I thought he was crazy, as I knew there was no way I could help with such a large task; I had never done anything this important since the tea party, and I didn't want something terribly wrong to happen like before. I was terrified at the thought of anything happening to Joe.

Terrified and excited by the offer, I realized that this could be my one chance to do something important, that wouldn't hurt my family. I had heard stories about what my father and grandmother had gone through, all of the patriotic things they had done, and I knew I wanted nothing more than to prove that I could do just as well as them, and so I accepted the offer.

After several days of working in the general assembly, I noticed that each representative only acted for their own benefits, and didn't care about anyone else's opinions. They were vain, stubborn, and always fight over the smallest disagreement to their position. This truly bothered me, as I recalled the words of the wise John Adams, "Democracies soon die by suicide."

I eventually realized no one was getting along, and the business of the people was suffering severely. The only way I knew of to fix such a problem was with the help of the govenor of Pennsylvania, by giving him more power in the constitution, the power needed to get the petty arguing to cease.

After over a month of work, I've finally finished my ideas for the constitution, and am ready to propose them to the assembly.

"As you all know, I have been working on a constitution to propose to you, and I have finally finished. If there are no objections, I will show it to you all now. Please take your time to read it; I'll put it on the wall for you to all see." I said as I pinned the constitution to the wall. I noticed that the other members were looking at me with hostility, as if I had done them wrong, and I began to wonder if it was such a good idea to even make a constitution. None the less, I wanted them to understand what I thought and thus I stood there as they looked at the constitution, which read:

" **The Official Constitution of Pennsylvania**

The Strength of the people, only formed by a proper government, is a vital part of sustaining our earned rights, which must be kept indefinitely.

**Article 1**

**The Equal Rights**

Every person, whether slave or not, is to be given the same rights to the pursuit of happiness, defending their liberty, and the right to be a part of government.

**Article 2**

**Power In Government**

All people are to have a certain amount of power in the government, and are able to make changes as part of the democracy. The power of government, however, is to be kept in check by govenors from each state, and the govenor to rule the rest is to be whoever the current govenor of Pennsylvania is at any time.

**Article 3**

**Freedom of Religion**

Any citizen of America, even if female or a slave, has the right to worship any god, deity, or any figure they choose. No one is allowed to punish, discriminate, or cause trouble to others because of differing religions.

**Article 4**

**The Executive Branch**

As America will be run through democracy, it will have no need for one strict leader above all, other than the afore mentioned Govenor of Pennsylvania. Any attempts at tyranny are found criminal, and must not be allowed. Any one person can not rule above all others unless appointed by the govenor."

As people finish reading my constitution, I see their faces fill up with anger, looking as though ready to kill. I hear from all over, "You've betrayed the Revolution!", and "You're just a hypocritical child! You know nothing of government!". All over I hear how my ideas are terrible, and full of holes, and how they cannot accept such a horrible proposal.

"I... I just wanted it to be more peaceful..." I said, tears beginning to well up inside of me.

"We don't care! You're just a no good woman, GET OUT OF HERE!" I hear a man say, and then cheers of agreement follow. I eventually hear a man shouting, and he says "Leave her alone, be civil! What are you, animals?!". This made everyone go quiet, and everyone proceeded to sit back down and discuss their previous matters.

I knew at that point I had to give up my idea of trying to help, as nothing I could ever do would be able to benefit anyone. Ever.


	7. Tabatha Olson: Average American Part 3

**Tabatha Olson: Average American **by Christian Zeo

**Part 3**

The constitution; an important document, to say the least, that I attempted to help create. Though I was met with horrible criticism, we eventually agreed on a final draft of our new constitution. That was 14 years ago. Now it's the year 1798, just 2 years since the election of 1796, and I, Tabatha _Halter_, am now 46.

Just after I helped create the constitution, Joe decided that he wanted us to get married; he said, "A boy loves a woman, a man marries her.". Though I expected we were to be married some time, I did not know it would be so soon. We decided that we were to be married on our boy Billy's 10'th birthday, just 5 months away, and that we did.

The election of 1796 was one that lead to some problems. John Adams, the representative from the Federalist Party, won said election, and now him and the Federalist Party lead the nation after 8 years under George Washington. However, it didn't go very smoothly for John Adams, as the representative for the Democratic-Republican Party, Thomas Jefferson, was voted to be vice-president.

Recently, 4 laws have been passed because of conflictions between the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans, known as the alien and sedition acts. Three of them, the alien acts, were geared towards the aliens, or non citizens, the first making it so they weren't considered citizens, and thus couldn't vote, for 14 years as opposed to 5. the other two allow the president to jail or deport any "suspicious" aliens who were thought to be attempting to damage government. Even though they say that these are for the 'safety of the country', I know that Adam's is just trying to make life harder for the Democratic-Republicans, as the majority of their votes are from aliens. also, the sedition act basically stops anyone from writing, or even saying, bad things about the government, which is obviously just trying to prevent people from having their own opinions, which I believe is horrible.

The reason why I care so much, despite not being able to vote in such elections, is that, because of my taking part in the creation of the constitution, I've become a well known, and fairly high in status person, and thus I have been chosen to write a response article about the newly passed acts. Also, despite being very bad at art, as I never truly had lessons or time to do such things, I agreed to also include an editorial cartoon expressing my feelings.

After quite a while of working on it, I finished the article, and the man who had asked me to write it, the editor, came back to my house, and took it from my hand and began to read over it, as I began to think of the consequences.

**Philadelphia Times**

Alien and Sedition Acts:

A response article by Tabatha Halter

As you all know, there have recently been 4 laws passed; the alien and sedition acts. Also, you probably know these laws elongate the period of time it takes for an alien, or foreigner, to be able to vote, allow the president to arrest and alien he thinks is trying to hurt the government, and prevents bad things from being written or said about the government. This is completely wrong for many reasons. Not only is this an obvious attack on the Democratic-Republican party as foreigners are a large part of their party, but also an infringement on the first amendment. Freedom of speech and press are both guaranteed in the constitution, and must be kept. Taking away the ability to speak one's opinion is beyond unconstitutional, and should never happen. I believe the alien and sedition acts are horrible and should not exist. While words may not be able to express what exactly has been going on, I believe this may help you with a visual representation of what has been happening. Please pardon my lack of artistic skills, as the importance of what I have drawn is obvious, and must not be ignored. (picture on page 2)

After he stared at the two pages for some time, he just muttered "interesting…" before finally leaving my house, and I began to wonder if what I wrote was really worth it.

I sat down in a tall, thin chair at our wooden kitchen table next to Billy, who had recently turned 23.

"What's wrong, mother? Why do you seem so upset? Don't tell me you already regret making the article!" He said.

"No Billy, it's just… I feel as though something is wrong. I feel a…. foreboding sense." I honestly replied.

"Oh, well that makes me feel _much _relieved!" He replied in the sarcastic tone he often uses, but I ignored it for the time I had much worse things to deal with.

After several days the article had finally been published, and I awaited to see how people responded. I noticed that, as I was out getting food, many people were reading the article I had written, and were apparently very happy with it. I even heard one group of men say I was "An absolute hero" to the press.

I thought that this, this one moment was worth living for. Hearing and seeing people love _my_ writing almost felt like it made up for all of my failures in the past, such as with the Boston Tea Party and my parents shunning me, and the constitution and no one liking it. I knew at that moment that what I was writing was right, and no matter what happened, no matter how horrible, I would be able to face it, because as long as I believed in myself, I could do it. I _could_ do it. I had proved that just then. The only thing I had to overcome was myself. Now, there was absolutely nothing in my way.

Or so I thought.

As I got back home, I noticed a carriage parked in front of our house, and I began to quickly go inside to greet our guest, when I noticed a sign on the carriage, that said "LOCAL CONSTABLE" on it. Wondering why the authorities would be at my house, I walked in, trying not to act suspicious.

"Hello? Who's there?" A man said as I walked through the door.

"My name is Tabatha Halter. This is my home." I replied, looking over at Joe, who had an expression that made him look grief stricken, and Billy, who looked as though he was paralyzed in shock.

"Not anymore." The man said, showing a hint of excitement as he saw the shock in my eyes.

"What… What do y-you mean?! H-how could I… How could y-you take m-my home?!" I stuttered, truly terrified by the man's statement.

"I'm not taking your home. I'm taking you. You're under arrest for sedition." He said, making my shell finally crack, as I began to break down and cry. As he walked me out to his carriage I began to look back at both Joe and Billy, expecting expressions of anger, or disappointment, however what I saw was different; those of determination, seeming to say "you can do it". and I knew I could. I just wish I knew what I had to do.

It had only been 3 days, however I had already grown tired of it. There's never any light, and thus I can barely see in my prison cell ever, it's wet and damp from what I hope was my inmate's last meal, and even with only 2 of us, the cell is only a couple square feet, and thus is still very crowded. Despite our being around each other at almost every moment of the day, my cellmate Jason just won't let us become friends; He always is just so mean to me, and never seems to have a good attitude; Not that he _should_ have a good attitude. We've both been stuck in these horrid cells for days, though him a few more days.

In the middle of one of our lunch time, Jason once again stirred up trouble.

"Seriously though Tabatha, how the heck did you end up getting in here for something like that? You should have just kept your mouth shut. Not that what you had to say what correct in the first place." He said in his condescending voice.

"You don't seem to understand, Jason. I got in here because of injustice, on their part, not mine. I was just speaking what believed was correct, and they tossed me in here like a criminal." I said to him, once again.

"Hey, you were still wrong. and President Adams has the right to make these laws, and they are totally fair. Not only should there not be aliens here to begin with, but there also should not be slander about the government floating around either." He stated his usual case once again.

"You still don't get it do you? The whole point is that it's unconstitutional. We as a people have the right to, as the first amendment directly states, "speech, press, religion, assembly, and petition.", and the sedition act is a blatant hazard to those rights. And the aliens _did_ have a right to vote before, and should now, and, if you recall, some of those aliens helped us win in the revolutionary war, and thus without them, most of us wouldn't even be alive." I said all in one go, used to the routine of telling him what I thought.

"Whatever, I don't care anyway." He said as usual to end the conversation, which is when I knew I had won the argument once again.

After we finished our usual debate, I got an unexpected visitor on the other side of the jail cell. A man who was wearing a black suit, and had a big, black top hat. A certain man who happened to have arrested me.

"What are you doing here?" I said hastily, not in the mood for his presence or anyone elses.

"Well, hostile, aren't we? How can you be the same woman I saw 3 days ago? It's astounding what a few days behind bars can do to you." he said with an annoyingly large smile across his face.

"I'm not hostile!" I screamed at him, proving him correct.

"Oh, well with that attitude I almost regret giving you this offer." He said, as he pulled a paper out of his top hat, and held it in front of me.

"You can make a choice; you can either stay in there, as you have, for the agreed upon 2 years, or you may rewrite your article and apologize for what you said about the alien and sedition acts." He said. While it seemed very tempting, and almost a blessing, I began to remember two thing; the feeling I got when I heard people talk about my article, and the emotions I saw in Joe and Billy's eyes when I left my home. I had made a decision long ago, I just hadn't known it.

"No. I'm not going to go against my American ideals just to get out of a cell. True freedom can only be attained if I free myself, and I'd be doing just the opposite if I fell to such a thing a that!" I said, finally sure about what I wanted to do. "I'd rather stay in here; Those horrible acts are laws that I could never stand by, even if acting!"

"Fine, have it your way. However keep in mind that means 2 years will pass by, and you most certainly will regret this decision by the end of it." He sighed.

"Trust me. I won't." I said with a large smile across my face as he shook his head and left the prison.

After a year and a half of jail, I had just turned 48, when I began to reach my limit. In my old age, I was unable to handle the conditions of jail; they were too much for me. For my birthday, I decided I wanted to see my family once again, so I requested it to the prison baron and he allowed it, saying I had been relatively quiet so he supposed it would be okay to do for my birthday.

I saw Joe and Billy for the first time since I left, and I immediately began to cry; they had both grown so much, and all I had done was grow weaker.

"Billy, I'm afraid my time has almost come." I said. "The family torch, the unkindled spirit, the hidden potential waiting to be unlocked; I believe you are ready to have it awakened. I see it inside of you Billy. You can become a wonderful young man, and do monumental things. Unfortunately, it took me until now to see my potential. You, however, should not waste it like I have. Always stay true to your American beliefs, and always look to expand your ideas as the country grow."

Crying, looking straight into my eyes while doing so, Billy whispered, "W-What? How? I don't know what exactly you mean, but I will try. I will stay true to myself, no matter what!" He said, in a resolute tone.

"Good, good. Remember these things, because if you trust me, and do what you believe is right, **this will make you a true American**." I finished, right before I saw a look of shock and horror on Billy's face, which was the last thing I saw before the world faded to black.


End file.
